It’s said that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. And it only takes a visit to a secondhand store to see just how true this really is. I remember once going to a book tent at a carnival and picking up loads of great reads. It was only when I got home and started paging through them that I realized one of the books (a collection of Madiba quotes) had been autographed by none other than the man himself, South Africa's late president Nelson Mandela. It cost me the equivalent of 11 cents. Yes, Really.
Thrifting is literally a cheap thrill. It can even get a bit addictive rummaging through someone else’s “junk” to hit the jackpot. But it isn’t just good for your pocket, it helps save the planet, too, by reducing waste and cutting back on your carbon footprint.
There's a hugely popular online community called Thrift Store Hauls. It has an incredible 4 million members. They love garage sales, flea markets, pawn shops, thrift stores, and more. They've been sharing their best secondhand finds, and we must admit, we’re just a little jealous. Bored Panda has put together an inspiring list of the top times people won gold in the thrifting Olympics. From a $6 red velvet kitty couch to a $10 SMEG toaster, some of these treasures might make you want to drop what you're doing and run to the nearest secondhand store.
#1 Best $6 I Ever Spent
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#2 Story Time - Few Years I Lost My Grandma, I Couldn’t Take Her Furniture Because I Didn’t Have Room. I Now Have A House, And For The 1st Time Looked Up If This Table Would Be Listed Anywhere (Knowing It Wouldn’t Be). Marketplace For $20. I Got Her Table 3 Years Later 🥹
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#3 Goodwill Strikes Again
Couldn’t believe my eyes! They’re in great condition, looks like never used. Thrilled every time we use them.
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Thrifting has become wildly popular in recent years, especially among the younger generations. People are buying more consciously, and secondhand stores are the place to be when it comes to sustainable fashion.
There might have been a stigma attached to buying second-hand clothes a few decades ago. It was seen as "less-than." But nowadays, thrifters are considered cool, socially conscious, and fashion-forward. For some, it’s more than just shopping… It’s a lifestyle.
#4 I… I Think I Just Won
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#5 Found This Adorable Lil Cow Ottoman For $12 At Goodwill Today. He'll Be In Good Company With The Other Cute/Weird Animal Things In My Living Room 🥰
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#6 My Daughter Paid $13 For This Sweatshirt Two Months Ago. Tonight My Wife Discovered It’s Worth Hundreds
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Thrifting goes hand-in-hand with sustainable living, say the environmentalists at the University of Colorado Boulder. And there are several reasons why buying secondhand goods is good for the planet.
“Most clothes are made from synthetic materials, which take hundreds of years to decompose in landfills,” reads the university’s site. “When you thrift, you help extend the life of clothes, which can reduce the volume of clothing sent to landfills each year.”
According to the activist group Greenpeace, 1.92 million tonnes of textile waste is produced every year. And a staggering 92 million tonnes of discarded garments find their way into dumps around the world—out of the 100 billion produced annually.
#7 Bought A Used Couch On Saturday. Just Found This Stashed Inside. I Think I'm In Shock Right Now
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#8 Just Brought Home The Prettiest Lamp I’ve Ever Seen!
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#9 I Found The Striped One Three Years Ago. Today I Found Him A Friend :’)
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The clothing industry—especially fast fashion—and its consumers also contribute to wasted resources. Making clothes takes a whole lot of water. Like, a lot of water. According to the University of Colorado, one pair of jeans is estimated to consume about 1,800 gallons of water during the manufacturing process and the cotton growth stage. Greenpeace adds that 2 billion pairs of jeans are produced every year.
Meanwhile, that t-shirt you're wearing probably took around 700 gallons of water to produce. To put it into perspective, that's the amount of water an average person drinks over the course of 900 days.
#10 My Turtle Lamp
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#11 My Husband Brought Home A Bag Full Of Brass Animals From An Estate Sale
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#12 Thrifted This Less Than Three Hours Ago!
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Studies have shown that many people don't keep the same clothes in the cupboard for more than a year. And one study found that a lot of garments are chucked out after no more than 10 wearings.
“Thrifting keeps clothing in use for longer, which can help limit wasted resources through decreased demand for new products,” say the university's experts. The Geneva Environment Network adds that the fashion industry is the second-biggest consumer of water and is responsible for 2-8% of global carbon emissions.
#13 Two Hundred Bucks For A Toaster? Crazy But For 10 Bucks I'm In
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#14 Found The Perfect Item To Complete My Gallery Wall
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#15 70s Vintage Suede Coat Found At A Garage Sale
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'Waste not, want not' is a good rule to live by. "In today’s society of consumerism, people often buy things without realizing they don’t really need them, and with items that are cheap and accessible people tend to throw them away," notes Goodwill International.
"To help lessen the impact that this has on the environment, you can choose to donate things instead of tossing them and consider looking for an item secondhand next time you need something."
#16 Found My Old Favorite Sweater In My Current Size!
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#17 Thrifted My Best Friend’s White Whale
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#18 Dream Come True!
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#19 This, My Friends, Is Why I Drive 45 Minutes To The Rich People Goodwill
The thrift gods smiled upon me. I found a Dyson V8 Animal stick vacuum in a bin waiting to be unloaded at Goodwill…for 20 bucks. I feel like I’ve gotten away with a crime! Got home and tested it, and it works great. There was some debris stuck in the vacuum head, mainly pine needles, which makes me think someone vacuumed up their Christmas tree debris, clogged up the head, and then assumed the vacuum was no longer working, so they took it to Goodwill and got a new one. Welp, my cat and I are endlessly grateful!
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#20 Got This Sectional For $100 At The Thrift Store, Had It Professionally Steam Cleaned
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#21 Facebook Marketplace Find- Stained Glass Cottage Lamp
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#22 Found This Unmarked 18k Gold Ruby Sapphire Pearl Pin For $6
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#23 2 Years Ago I Posted Here About Finding My Holy Grail Lotus Floor Lamp For $100 Among The Craze…today I Present To You Her Younger (Shorter) Twin Sisters, For $100 Total
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#24 My Wife And I Just Bought This Broyhill Dining Set For $35 At Our Local Goodwill. We Looked It Up And It Retails For $4k 😭
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#25 The Thrift Gods Smiled Down At Me Today! A Dyson Blow Dryer For $7.99
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#26 Baby, You Like This Nintendo Stuff Right? - My Wife (Thriftstore Haul!)
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#27 Can’t Believe I Almost Passed On This. 😳
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#28 Go Married Yesterday And Found This Le Cruset Dish Today At Savers For $20
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#29 Thrifted Ornaments For My Sister And She Made This…
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#30 Found A Piece Of My Childhood At The Goodwill Bins!
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#31 I Think I've Peaked
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#32 Anyone Who Said Money Can't Buy Happiness Has Never Found A Lifesized Danny Devito Cutout At Their Local Charity Shop
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#33 Scored This Awesome Mushroom Cardigan For $6.97!!! 🍄
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#34 Got This 70s Marmet Stroller In Perfect Condition For Free Today!
I’m so excited! These are hard to come by in my area, and I think it looks absolutely lovely. It was free off Facebook marketplace! My sister said they sell for quite a bit online, but I’m planning on keeping this bad boy in the family.
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#35 Found This Unhinged Sweatshirt At Goodwill Today
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#36 Someone Donated A Gorgeous Collection Of Dog Paintings To My Local Humane Society Thrift Store
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#37 Opalin Glass Egg For 1$. Weird And At The Same Time So Pretty
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#38 White Whale Level Unlocked! Marimekko X Uniqlo Down Coat That I Longed For But Could Not Afford A Few Years Ago! $20 And I Needed A New Coat Too! 😍
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#39 Told My Coworker Who Thrifts To Keep An Eye Out For Taylor Swifts 1st Album For My Fiancé. Dude Comes In With This Today: $1.99 Price Tag
Once I told him that was an $800 plus CD he kept it of course lol. Incredible luck on his end.
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#40 I Couldn’t Leave The Thrift Without This Alabaster Phone That I Will Never Use, It’s Simply For The Vibes
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#41 Yeah I Bought It, Be Jealous. Look At That Cats Face!
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#42 Had To Have This Chips And Dip Bowl For $3
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#43 My Best Find Yet! Frog Fone 🐸
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#44 Found This Fish Bag Today While Wearing A Fish Fleece I Thrifted A Few Years Ago
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#45 Always Check The Pockets Of Expensive Coats At The Thrift Store :)
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#46 Picked Up This Mint Condition Beauty For $231
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#47 Best Thrifting Catch Of My Life! 😍
I may or may not have cried actual tears upon purchasing. Paid $115 out the door while it’s commonly selling for almost $1k online right now, I cannot believe my luck. This piece will be treasured forever!!
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#48 Got Dis Rug At The Local Recycle Center For Fiiiive Whole Doll Hairs
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#49 Found At A Thrift Store For 50 Dollars, Typically It’s 1200!!
Been one of only 3 white whales I have left, Our USA: A Gay Geography is a book that’s practically extinct and has the beautiful pictures of each US state and territory.
Years ago flippers realized people would pay 20-50 dollars for a page and the complete books were annihilated.
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#50 After Several Hours At The Goodwill Outlet Bins, Picked Up Only One Thing, But It Made The Time Spent Worth It!
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